Epilogue – Legacy

He'd been busy lately or as busy as he could be sending those he trusted out to do the things he couldn't leave the planet for. He'd tried a few times, months back to sneak away but it seemed to always lead to someone recognising him. Gun fights would follow and complaints from Senator Dameron about not making his job easy. So mostly he stayed at his hiding place unless it was something particularly important or when he felt stir crazy stuck on the planet. Kylo of course didn't care if these outings inconvenienced Poe but he liked to avoid the scolding he'd get from someone else if he didn't relent so he tried to be sparing with his trips off planet. Plus the fewer things he had to try and hide in his mind the better. She'd almost found out what had happened on that world with the red hammock. He didn't think she'd approve and he didn't want to find out. Yes, he could argue with her, he did a lot but sometimes he didn't have the energy to butt heads with a woman more stubborn than his mother.

"We found another one of the lost treasures scavenged from the wreck near Cato Neimoidia at an auction on Nar Shadaa. You've nearly got the whole set now I think." The once blonde, greying pilot explained as her men unloaded the cargo. She then held out a book to the black clad force user.

"Ah! Thank you!" He exclaimed in excitement inspecting the tome and then flicking over the blank pages. "This one will be perfect to inscribe the third tome." He explained to laughter. The woman shook her head before signalling to her people that it was time to leave. "Threat of the galaxy excited over books." She chided ignoring the twist of grief in her chest that mirrored in his eyes.

"See you 'round Evaan." He offered recalling the violent meeting of the woman who had done so much for his mother and helped him only for her sake. Still, she'd softened up a bit and got along with Rey when she was around.

The sun was setting, casting an orange light across the fields. More huts had sprouted up next to the ancient Naboo homes for summer retreats. When more political members outside of the old queen's influence there had been resistance to the idea of the once Supreme Emperor staying in secret on the lush planet but eventually old blood won through and somehow it became his hidden retreat. Only those few political and royal members were aware of the existence of the secret Jedi training ground on their planet, the masses ignorant and thus quiet on the matter. As Kylo took up his calligraphy brush to transcribe from the old tomes he watched his knights, no longer black clad, as they directed children in the force. But it was a lazy afternoon and instead the air was filled with their laughter as they made a game of something or other.

Jun was an excellent teacher but Keiko was the instructor favoured among the children. She just had a way with them none of the others did and her bright laughter seemed to alleviate the tension of any doubts about learning from the supposed worst criminals of the galaxy.

Ben was known as a teacher as well, respected as one by some of his students though others feared him. He never let this trouble his mind though. Kylo would accept all the small burdens for the sins that he had committed that had otherwise gone unpunished. There were people out there calling for his head and rightfully so but here he was permitted to live. There was a certain peace to it as he sent others out on tasks, both personal and those to track down the threat hidden in the unknown regions. She helped him in that. Travelling to do jobs for both the Republic and herself as they prepared for the next obstacle almost in their spare time like it was a hobby though they all knew better. They knew there was danger lurking out their in the unknown and unseen world and it wasn't just the missing Claude.

As if the reflection were a signal he noted the familiar hum and cry of a nostalgic ship passing overhead, landing near the building that they called home. Leaving the small temple that was still under construction, taking the books with him, he made his way to greet Rey on her return.

He could sense the scavenger before he could see her. She was discussing something with Chewbacca, her bones weary after a long adventure. He let his excitement bubble up to spill over letting Rey share in it as he appeared around the doorway, tackling her before lifting her up from behind, revelling in the delighted squeaks of laughter and indignation as she demanded to be put down. Ben ignored the looks of the two children standing near the wookiee; a young yellow skinned Twi'lek and a blue Togruta who appeared utterly confused. This scarred, black clad man was surely Kylo Ren but he didn't at all appear to be the Jedi Killer or First Order monster he was infamous for. In fact he seemed to be a complete dork as he buried his face in the hair of the fiery brunette who also had never shown them this light-hearted side to her on their long journey across the stars.

"Get a room." A young man interrupted as he ran up to greet Chewbacca. The teen thumbed a Resistance ring on his finger as Ben shot him an uncaring look while he refused to drop the woman he was holding, now bridal style after all her flailing. She wasn't getting her wish to be released partly because he was selfish and partly because her desire wasn't entirely genuine.

"This is my house, isn't it?" He rebuked not amusing anyone but himself and Rey only by sharing his joy with her.

"Cid, this is Mehi and Zorita. Can you take them to Jun to arrange rooms for them? We'll begin their training tomorrow." Rey requested as the young student helped his new peers carry their things while they followed him out of the building. As she watched them go Ben noticed a bracelet on her wrist.

"What's that?" He asked curiously unable to hide the apprehension in the question.

"Finn gave it to me as a gift." She explained, glaring towards Ren having sensed his jealousy and desire to remove the offensive object. "Don't you dare." She warned as she slipped out of his hold. She was too wary at the moment for him to take any action. He exchanged a look with Chewbacca that was enough for him to shift in embarrassment that he'd been caught out for being childish.

"What did you find at the third location?" Ben asked shifting the conversation. Rey and a small group of others had been slowly investigating the unknown regions, going to specified locations extracted from the data they had retrieved. So far they'd found only remnants from decades ago, no sign of anyone related to Snoke or the remnants led by Lucius.

"It's where Claude went. He wasn't there when we got there but we think we can track him down. We're regrouping." Rey answered. She wanted to tell Ben to stay here but before they could even voice the argument it was held silently between them. He wasn't staying behind no matter the risk of someone wanting to take him out on their side let alone the other dangers of not only their opposition but the unknown regions themselves. But it was hard to argue that she wanted to keep him safe when she was at risk all the time too. She could take care of herself but he was better at it or so he declared in her mind. She wanted to chide him for the sentiment but was instead touched and defeated by her awkward acknowledgement of his protective adoration.

Chewbacca's whine interrupted their thoughts and the fond smile sneaking onto her face was covered by embarrassment.

"Yes, I'm going to regroup for a while. Come get me…come get us when Finn and Poe are ready to go." Rey answered, hugging her furry captain in farewell. He was happy for them even as he left without a parting for Ben. Each time this happened a flash of pain would strike through the knight; he reflected on it as he observed the Millennium Falcon's departure. When it was gone from sight he turned, walking back inside where he found Rey had dropped onto the couch, boots unceremoniously on the floor next to her pack as she sighed with weary relief.

"How are the students?" She asked as she rested her arms behind her head while Ben took a seat on the armrest near her feet. He tapped on the material on the side idly as he mulled over her question like it was important.

"Cid, as you can see, has decided I'm okay enough to make fun of. The others still flinch at my instructions but they follow them. Anya's getting better and should seek out her crystal soon." He elaborated before stretching across and lowering himself so he could rest his head on her stomach as she shifted to make as much room as she could for his lumbering form. Her hands instinctually went to his hair, stroking amongst the dark locks and twisting them, a habit she had formed in recent times. He liked it just as much as the sensations he got from her when he looked up from under his lashes at Rey. It was his puppy look that had gotten him out of trouble on more than one occasion if he was lucky enough for her to be in a light-hearted mood.

"What?" She asked cautiously even as a grin forced its way past her feigned wariness and ruined the façade. He smiled in response, taking care not to injure with an ignorant elbow or knee, he made his way further up so his face was in line with hers. She'd always blame him when they got caught out by anyone but he delighted in the fact she was always the first to look to his lips almost in request before they pressed down on hers in a passionate kiss. As he did so he slyly slipped a ring from his pocket, sliding it onto one of her fingers as if to triumph over Finn's gift. She pulled away in surprise looking at the jewellery intently, the chosen finger not lost on her.

"It's from Alderaan. Evaan helped me get it; I didn't leave." He quickly excused knowing that she still found the hints of times he had left while she was away as they shared their thoughts. She didn't chide him for it though, lost in a jumble of emotions neither of them could untangle as apprehension nestled in his stomach. He knew it was foolish but it was still there regardless of the fact that joy covered whatever chaos was running through her mind. She was embarrassed about it though; still not comfortable with sharing such secret emotions with someone let alone expressing them when she had been so closed off for most of her life.

"You didn't even ask." She responded defensively mentally reprimanding him for the grin on his face. Their eyes were shut as he kissed her again but she could feel his smile even without their bond.

"Did I have to?" He asked mischievously, distracting whatever rebuttal she had intended to make as fingers twitched at her sides. She laughed and squirmed under the torture of tickles, managing to flip them so she now straddled his hips. He relented, tracing patterns on her thighs as he looked up at his sun goddess feeling undeserving of the delight of this moment but relishing it just the same. His heart hammered against his chest as anticipation filled his veins with adrenaline. They had been lying like this the first night on Naboo when they'd finally had a chance to explore their bond in full; no force ghost uncles to interrupt them. His desires were begging for repetition. She flushed at his unspoken confession as their shared memories swam up to meet them, leaning down to take his lips with hers. It was a welcome home that she still wasn't used to but she enjoyed it.

He traced the scar on her arm in the moonlight. It was not for his usual nightmares that he couldn't sleep. Whenever she was here he found it remarkably easy to drift off even though insomnia still plagued him when she was away. But it was not fear that kept him awake tonight. Elation fluttered through Kylo as in her sleep her face snuggled deeper into his chest taking comfort from him. He looked at the mark of an old wound that Rey was resting against reflecting on the irony that she had given it to him. So much had happened, so much had changed. His mind wandered over what ifs before drifting back to Snoke. He was gone but there was the threat of tomorrow, the one they had to face soon. Apprehension stirred within, interrupting the happiness he had been revelling in. It bothered him that he they could not prepare for the dangers they didn't know, only react to them as they arose.

Meanwhile Rey felt the beginning of the threads of their interconnected mind as she stirred from a familiar dream. She had stopped questioning long ago why she still saw Luke's island accepting it as a part of her life in the same way that she accepted that Kylo was uneasy at night. His worried thoughts of the unknown flitted away with her stirring conscience and she chose to ignore them allowing Ben his quiet reprieve. His expression was soft when she opened her eyes, delight shimmering in his gaze when she stretched her arms around his waist under their shared blanket.

"What are our plans for tomorrow?" She asked to aid him in his diversion glancing up to stars through a high window in their home. His index finger traced the scar on her shoulder as she tried not to look through his thoughts while he sifted through them. She blushed knowing he had intended causing her reaction when his mind settled on what he really wanted to do.

"We could just stay in bed. Jun, Nobu, and Keiko have the students covered." He declared pretending that he thought Rey would agree to this. While her face burned she took the challenge to play a game of flustering her other half.

"What will we name our kids?" She asked almost casually even though she had rushed to say it before he had an inkling of what was coming. She felt him tense but he made a good show of pretending this hadn't fazed him.

"Anakin for our first son." He started almost as a joke on his admiration for Darth Vader though with some hint of seriousness to it.

"First?" She questioned, her concentration broken from their game. Melodic laughter of a pair of star crossed lovers that shared a bond more intimate than most could know filled the night sky on a planet that had long cried out for the serenity of a confessed love and an open heart. For now the galaxy was at peace in its balance. It would not last as it never does but that was why they could revel in their moment of calm, taking joy when they could. The Force would guide them whenever they or any that listened needed to be shown the way.

((A/N: Gah. I ruined my bounce between perspectives to start each chapter with this one thanks to expanding 7 into two chapters. But I didn't want to change the epilogue starting with a Ben semi at peace waiting for Rey. It just feels so poetic. Also, corny ending line is corny and short epilogue is short.

We're here guys. Hope you have all continued to enjoy and that the slight OOC of this wrap up isn't too off putting. I just really wanted to give these guys something good for once and throw some lighthearted fun into the mix. It has been a great pleasure writing and sharing this and massive thanks and shout outs to my reviewers who helped me improve with our back and forths. It has been greatly appreciated. As for the future of this version of events, nothing is solid in plans yet but I would like to return to it one day. Not just to find out what's lurking out there but thanks to some of those reviews I'm now really interested in writing about Ben's downfall and getting to know the knights a little more. But for now and for a while this will be it. Thank you all for joining me on this journey. n_n

WhatIsThis'Sleep'YouSpeakOf: XD It really is the unifying theme of the sagas. The underlying message if you will that sand is course, rough, irritating, and it gets everywhere. I'm glad I found the right balance (ha) for the ending. Yeah, I think Finn and Rey will always have this really close friendship that they don't talk about because they don't know what to say. Hope you enjoyed the fluff! Mystic 777: I felt that he would be. Finn wouldn't be proud of it but Hux and Phasma put him through a lot themselves so he'd find satisfaction in it even if it's twisted. And yes. I was a bit vague again but confirmed here. Hope this cleared any other questions up and that you enjoyed! n_n pagan-seijou: I'm glad you enjoyed 7. I think Luke using kid is very endearing so I loved writing it in. I feel like following on from being called it by Han, that it was a fond nickname Luke used for Ben in continuation. I love making things come full circle while also still moving ahead so I wanted to bring everything back to where it began in a way. There's peace, for now. Hope you enjoyed the fluffiness! And good luck with your studies!

So here we are at the end. There may be slight changes pending a few read overs to correct or tweak things but this is it. Again, a massive, massive thank you for the reviews, favourites, and follows. They help me grow with my writing, gain confidence, and just generally bring me great joy. I hope you have continued to enjoy this little story to the end and to maybe one day see you when I return to this version of events in whatever form happens first.

My usual final: constructive criticism is cherished and feedback is appreciated!))